It is known to store agricultural products such as silage and the like in the field in large plastic bags referred to as agricultural bags. Such bags are generally designed to be filled from one end and may have a diameter in excess of 10 feet and a length of up to 100 feet or more.
Machines have been developed to load silage and other agricultural products into such agricultural bags. A known conventional agricultural bag loading apparatus includes a housing with a rotating shaft mounted therein. The shaft has a plurality of teeth extending outwardly therefrom which are arranged in a generally even, albeit random pattern over the surface of the shaft. As the shaft rotates, the teeth force silage into an agricultural bag which has been secured adjacent to the loading apparatus. As silage is loaded into the bag, the loading apparatus is moved away from the filled end of the bag in a controlled manner by use of a braking mechanism.
It is known to move the loading apparatus away from the filled end of the bag in a controlled manner by securing the filled end of the bag to the loading apparatus with a cable played out in response to the forces created by the compressed silage. Generally, two cables are employed, each disposed on one side of the agricultural bag. Each cable is then wrapped around separate cabl drums in a single layer to avoid excessive wear of the cable. Each drum is rotatably mounted on the corresponding side of the loading apparatus. The two cable drums are rigidly connected by means of a connecting shaft running transversely through the loading apparatus so that rotation of the two drums is identical. It is known to secure a toothed gear to one end of this connecting shaft and secure a tensioned chain about the outer perimeter of this gear. This tension chain also is secured about the outer perimeter of a second, smaller diameter toothed gear which is mounted on a braking device. Typically, this braking device comprises a common automotive type disc brake, with a caliper and rotor, and a hand operated hydraulic pump with pressure measuring devices to monitor the resistance to rotation between the calipers and rotor.
Although known agricultural bag loading apparatus braking mechanisms of this type have performed adequately, several difficulties have been encountered in operation and maintenance. The connecting shaft has occasionally sheared between the connecting shaft gear and the immediately adjacent cable drum. That particular portion of the connecting shaft must resist the torque of both cable drums, and is subject to a bending moment caused by the tension within the chain.